Spring 2019 iwcmoscow.ru Newsletter 1 1 Int ernat ional Wom en's Club of Moscow iw cm oscow.ru TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 Letter from the Pr esident 04 Concer t for Char ity 08 Inter national Women's Evening 10 On the Cover : Tsar itsyno 12 In Memor y: Connie Meyer 13 IWC Char ities Fund 16 Coffee Mor nings 17 Inter est Group Spotlight 18 Meet & Gr eet 22 IWC on Social Media 23 Contacts 2 2 Letter from the Pr esident Dear and lovely m em bers of our Club, We are coming to the end of a busy year, where we met many new, interesting people, who then became very close to us. Our Club gives us the chance to learn about new cultures and opens up new horizons. In the past year, IWC held two very successful and large-scale events to raise funds for charities. As you know, these events were the Winter Bazaar and the Charity Concert. In 2018-2019, we supported over 25 charity projects. You can find a listing of the projects along with a description of the ways in which we helped this year on pages 14-15. On the eve of summer, let me wish you all a good holiday and unforgettable new memories. Thank you for being with us. We are working to continue to make progress and trying to make you happy with new and interesting events. Love and appreciation to all of you! Sincerely, Mery Toganyan President of the International Women's Club Spouse of the Armenian Ambassador to the Russian Federation 3 3 Concer t for Char ity On Monday, May 20, the International Women's Club of Moscow together with the Association of Winners of the International Tchaikovsky Competition presented a Charity Concert dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Club. We had been preparing for this Concert for a long time, so it was very exciting when the lovely spring evening finally arrived! The event started with a nice welcome reception for IWC members and guests, which featured Koor Wines from Armenia, and a great selection of tasty appetizers from the Restaurant Darbars. The concert was held in the stately Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Madame Mery Toganyan, President of the IWC, and the President of the International Competition Association, Andrey Sherbak, joined together on the stage to welcome the audience and to begin the concert. They also exchanged letters of appreciation. In this beautiful setting, we enjoyed listening to the talented orchestra along with the incredible featured artists: Ekaterina Mechetina on piano, Maria Andreeva on violin, and Alexandar Ramm on cello. It was a delightful evening and a fitting way to celebrate the IWC's 40th anniversary and its work to help others - through an event that raised funds for helping people in need. 4 4 Recept ion for IWC Mem bers Before the Concert, IWC members and guests were treated to a reception where they were able to relax and enjoy a glass of red or white Koor Wine from Armenia and a variety of tasty appetizers from the Restaurant Darbars. This was a nice opportunity for celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the IWC and mingling with friends. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Restaurant Darbars and Koor Wines. Thank you! 5 5 More Phot os from t he Concert ! 6 6 7 7 Inter national Women's Evening By Alina Jaravine, IWE Chair International Women?s Evening (IWE) explores, through our speakers and guests - our own potential, possibilities, unexplored strengths and capabilities - while traveling the world and/or supporting our families. You may be a professional who postponed a career, or who is in search of another one, or who changed your occupation completely because you are traveling: IWE is FOR YOU! Join us once a month at the only IWC evening event for discussion, sharing and listening to our speakers and guests. As many of you had suggested, I created a Facebook IWE group, where we can share articles and thoughts, links and pictures, outside the meeting room of IWE. Please join the closed group; I have already invited those whom I have personal connection with on Facebook. Also, it would be great to receive follow-ups from you about what speakers (professions, jobs, occupations) you would like us to invite to IWEvenings. Any suggestions on how to improve or grow our group are very welcome! Some stories of this year: The 2019 New Year IWE season started with the story of Natalia Polenova, great-granddaughter of the famous 19th century Russian artist, Vasiliy Polenov. Natalia is the director of Polenovo Estate - a Russian art and family heritage - preserving the architectural landmark along with a small gallery with a workshop outside Moscow. We listened to her presentation: "Profession: Preserve your family heritage." A stir about health brought us the February master class of Dr. Grigoriy Bashkirtzev on how lifestyle and the body are connected. Part philosopher, neurologist, sports injuries consultant, chiropractor and orthopedist, Dr. Bashkirtzev shared with us his vision on how the body responds to changes and the consequences, and his advice on exercises that do more harm than good. We learned some exercises to help remedy the following issues: stooped posture, postpartum muscle problems, weakness of the hip muscles, pain in joints, mandibular problems, migraines, and even snoring! In our March IWE, we met HE Fiona Bristow with a story on her diplomatic profession and experience. Fiona kindly invited us to 8 her home in Moscow, The British Ambassador's residency on 8 Sofiyskaya Naberejnaya. We learned about her experience in her profession of International Development and her work supporting an NGO in Africa, and even were entertained by a charade performed with HE her husband Sir Laurie Bristow, the British Ambassador to Russia, on how it is to receive a Knight title! April International Women's Evening hosted two co-speakers: from BDO consulting company, Ludmila Shusterova, and from NeoPhotonics Corporation, Tatiana Bowling. Have you left your job recently, or a long time ago? Are you planning to return to the same position? Our guests spoke about professional women's maternity leave: trends in the economy, planning, and opportunities; this was followed by a helpful question-answer session. Have you ever tried to write a story or a novel? Do you intend to? Becoming a writer is probably a talent rather than a profession, and a chance rather than a career. In May, International Women?s Evening hosted a terrific writer and traveler, Lyane Guillaume, who shared with us the story of how she became so passionate about writing. Her books are unique stories about women and cultures of the countries in which she has lived, while accompanying her husband on international assignments. You might be taking a break from your job or career, or you may be thinking about a new path ? International Women?s Evening is the place to collect ideas, plan a turnaround and embrace new opportunities! We meet every last Monday of the month (rarely changing dates, except for on speaker?s request). We look forward to seeing you again in September! 9 9 Tsar itsyno By Anca Gheorge, IWC Member and Newsletter Assistant Just outside of the constant hustle and bustle of central Moscow, you can find Tsaritsyno -- an exquisite palace museum with its own park reserve that sprawls for more than 100 hectares. Whether you are looking for an interesting lesson in Russian history and architecture, or simply want to enjoy a peaceful walk on a sunny day, there is a little bit of something for everyone in this charming spot. In the spring of 1775, while passing through the area on a walk form Kolomenskoye, Empress Catherine the Great was so impressed by the beauty of the landscape that she bought the estate and ordered the construction of a palace there. For the next 10 years, then-renowned architect of the court, Vasily Bazhenov, worked tirelessly on creating an imposing residence. But upon a surprise inspection in 1785, the Empress declared the palace ?unliveable? and demanded that it be torn down. Bazhenov?s rival, Matvey Kazakov, took over the project and came up with a design that was more to Catherine?s liking. Although sadly, the Empress? death in 1796 halted the construction process before the building was finished, and this time the structure remained abandoned for more than 200 years. It wasn?t until 2005 that a massive restoration project began, ensuring that the beautiful Tsaritsyno palace would finally be completed. 10 10 Tsarit syno: Tips for Visit ing For anyone wanting to simply stroll around the large estate and its forest, entrance is free of charge. However, for a visit inside the palace museum and other attractions such as the Bread House (which hosts various art exhibitions) you may buy a ticket either online in advance or at the entrance. The ticket price will vary depending on attractions included but will be no more than 780 rubles. In addition, almost all displays inside the museum are accompanied by information in Russian, but audio guides are available in English at the beginning of the tour. Hours: Park: 6:00-24:00 daily Palace Complex: closed on Mondays; Tues-Fri 10-18, Sat 10-20, Sun 10-19 Website: tsaritsyno-museum.ru 11 Metro Stations: Tsaritsyno and Orekhovo, both on Line 2 (Zamoskvoretskaya/dark green line) 11 In Memor y: Connie Meyer By Irina Mizitova, IWC Charity Board member Connie Meyer November 18, 1943 - May 9, 2019 It is a tragedy for all of us, and I still can't believe it has happened.